We were at the Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, to pray for a young man aged 24 at the request of his family. He has been battling cancer for the last 3-4 years and was having further surgery today for a tumor on his spine. It was high risk and the medical prognosis poor. We led him to rededicate his life to Jesus and ministered at his bedside before the operation. His mother later called to say it was a miracle that 99 per cent of the tumor was removed by the surgeon without damaging his ability to walk. Praise God! Please join your faith with ours in agreeing that Jesus has killed all cancer in his body and he is a new creation in Christ. He shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord! (Psalm 118:17)

Hilltop Seniors Village is a community of 200 residences for the over 55s on the west side of Columbus, Ohio. A retired pastor, a resident, was conducting services there on Sunday afternoons until forced to discontinue on health grounds. We have now taken over from him as an outreach of Lion and Eagle Christian Center. Our first service there was today.

It was a blessing!

An even greater blessing was to be asked to conduct the wedding of an elderly couple, Floyd and Dorthea, immediately after the service!

LaVonne is visiting a young woman in a correctional facility’s drugs rehabilitation center. She recently gave her heart to Jesus and LaVonne has been discipling her in the basics of the faith.

Today, on her usual visit, she was intercepted by another young lady, an inmate, who had a brighter countenance than others around her and who asked her, “Are you Wendy’s* pastor?” LaVonne said that she was. The young woman told her that after each discipleship session Wendy has been passing on what she’s been learning to her sister inmates, of whom she is one, and they have been greatly blessed. [*Wendy is not her real name.]

We have also been discipling a young couple in our church. Using what they learned in the session on evangelism, they led their house-mate to Christ; and he came with them to our Sunday morning service. Now they are going to be discipling him!

We went along to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank in Grove City, Ohio to help with the sorting and packing of free food for distribution to needy families throughout Ohio. It was a very rewarding and educational time.

Missionaries Howard & Barbara Gard returned to us after six months – they must love us! They spoke with particular regard for the Church in America to wake up to the threat from Islam within its borders.

We do NOT want America to go the way of the UK. It will, unless the country re-asserts and promotes its Christian heritage as a country founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Freedom of religion is not guaranteed by Islam. Sharia law is.

Islam will avail itself of the freedom of religion until it is in a position to deny it to other faiths. Just witness the persecution and driving out of Christians from Iraq, and how difficult it is to practise Christianity in Islamic nations. The threat is obvious. It’s frightening that it is being ignored in hopes it will simply “go away;” but it will NOT just “go away;” it will grow unless something is done.

Held on October 2nd at the University Plaza Hotel, Pastor Eric led prayer for Europe and for European nationals in the city of Columbus.

Pastor Eric speaking at the Columbus Prayer Summit

He spoke of: (a) the economic belt-tightening that is increasingly taking place in Europe leading to strikes and civil unrest; (b) the increase and appeasement of Islam while Christians are denied the freedom freely to propagate the Gospel, publicly practise their faith and even wear a cross at work; (c) civil liberties being withdrawn and an undemocratic EU increasing in influence; (d) the lowering of the reputation of the Church as a whole through the immorality of some clergy; and (e) the darkness over Europe where fewer and fewer people are Church attenders and fewer still are true Christians.

He strongly warned against the same trends in America and prayed for revival in both Europe and America. He called on the Church in Europe and America to wake up and earnestly contend for the Christian faith and our basic freedoms.

The next speaker, who spoke on the Middle East, an eminent man of some distinction, indorsed all that Eric said and thanked him for speaking the truth. He too pleaded for pastors and Christians in America to wake up to the serious issues that threaten Christianity in the West.

Babies are always God’s miracles, for all life comes from Him. Even so, we’ll claim an “assist” in miracle babies for two couples who have experienced big problems.

Proud parents with baby

One couple we ministered to in our healing school in Springfield, and prophesied twins, are now expecting twins!

The second couple (pictured right) attended our healing school in Columbus. Michelle was healed of a nodule in a breast and now at the age of 41 has given birth to a baby boy after a blissfully easy pregnancy in marked contrast to all previous attempts. They write: “Your prayers and encouragement come to mind often when we look at the beautiful son that we now hold in our arms.” Glory to God!

Verse of the Day

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit. — Jeremiah 17:7-8